In the last week, 2004 Beko BBL champion Fraport Skyliners have brought back that old soccer saying a game has 90 minutes and in the end Germany always wins. For the Fraport Skyliners losing hasn´t been on the menu as of late as they have won four overtime games in a row that have occurred in the last five games. For any basketball experts who want to unearth the Beko BBL stats and records be my guest, but I am sure that there haven´t been many clubs that have had such a successful track record in such a short span. The Fraport Skyliners did it again last night getting their third overtime win in a row and this time in far-away Saratov, Russia 112-103 where they secured first place in the Eurochallenge group K withstanding a monster night from the Ukrainian beast and ex NBA player Kyrylo Fesenko who poured in 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but also had amazing performances on their side with 30 points from the freak athlete Quantez Robertson, Sean Armand supplying 16 points while showing that he doesn´t only get buckets, but rebounds with 11, Los Angeles native Justin Cobbs being that consistent general powering 16 points and dishing out 12 assists, German national player Johannes Voigtmann chipping in with 18 points and Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi scoring 17 points. Frankfurt ended the game with a back breaking 9-0 run where they hit seven free throws. Despite being outrebounded, the Fraport Skyliners showed a team basketball performance on offense and defense and mustered 15 steals. The Fraport Skyliners went into the last game in Russia having had to win by six points or more to be first in the group, but surprisingly Antwerpen defeated Enisey Krasnoyarsk and Turkish team Trabzonspor defeated Mons Hainaut. Instead of the Russian team Avtodor Saratov being in first place, it was Turkish team Trabzonspor, so the Fraport Skyliners went into the game more relaxed since with a loss they would of met their more desired opponent Turkey where they would have had to deal with a three hour flight and less travel woes then a 12 hour plane ride to Siberia. But as is so often the case, no matter what head coach Gordon Herbert might have said behind closed doors, the number one goal of any player is too win and that is what the club did getting the extra flight time to Russia in the quarterfinal, but more importantly the home court advantage in the best of three quarterfinal series.

It is just so crazy how big a difference one season and many new players can be as in the second half of last season the Fraport Skyliners were labelled as the choke team as they had this sickening ability of not being able to get over the hump in crunch time as they lost nail bitters against Oldenburg, MBC, Ludwigsburg, Tuebingen, Braunschweig and Phoenix Hagen by a combined total of only 10 points. Had they won at least three of these games, they would have been rewarded with a ticket to the playoffs. This season losing the close games haven´t been a disease like last season, but as of late they have taken being able to win in the last moments to an extra step as they have been able to do it in overtime, a period in a game where the muscles are sore, mental fatigue starts to creep in and being prone to extra mistakes is more prevalent. Fraport Skyliner captain Quantez Robertson played 91 minutes in the last two OT double overtime wins in Holland and Russia and even at age 30, the guy could of still taken on a fresh Alex Renfroe from Alba Berlin in a one on one game had he been asked to and probably held his own. In their first OT success against Alba Berlin some weeks ago, they had a complete team effort and got big shots from their two confident and always focused American rookies Justin Cobbs and Sean Armand that laid the foundation for the current Alba Berlin three game losing streak. The next overtime classic was held in Den Bosch, Holland. This was the battle of the two rookies Brandon Curry and Justin Cobbs, but it was a buzzer beater from the corner from Stefan Wessels that took both teams into the second overtime. There it was rejuvenated Skyliner Jacob Burtschi who hit a three pointer and just buckling down on defense secured the win for Frankfurt. 72 hours later, the Fraport Skyliners went to Oldenburg where Johannes Vogtmann and Quantez Robertson still probably knew exactly where on the court Ramon Galloway lost the ball which sealed the crunch time loss their last season. This time, Frankfurt had some luck as like against Medi Bayreuth were they eked out an ugly 90-89 win they had to worry until the last second air ball from Javon Mccrea on a turnover. In Oldenburg it was the same story as they coughed up the ball again at the end, but it was Rickey Paulding that wouldn´t be the hero as his last second shot didn´t want to fall. The way the last week has gone with three overtime wins a row, it wouldn´t be surprising for fans to wager some bets on the Fraport Skyliners going the extra distance again this Sunday against the Mitteldeutscher BC. If Gordon Herbert were to invite English football legend Gary Lineker to a basketball video session in the BCM and show him the last four overtime wins, it wouldn´t be surprising if Lineker would cringe and utter a new version of his once famous line “ As Of Recently A Basketball Game Has 40-50 Minutes And At The End The Winner Is Always The Fraport Skyliners”.

If one were to break down why the Fraport Skyliners have been so successful since their 3-7 start into the Beko BBL, one would stress that there have been many key factors that have helped propel the team to new heights. Of course the rise of the twin towers Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel have been key as they have achieved making another step in their development as Barthel has become that consistent scorer as has Voigtmann as well as improving his defense and passing. One also has to give a lot of credit to the team in that since Danilo Barthel got injured, the team was able to keep their head up as they have learned to deal with a diversity especially with the walking wounded list being news all season long. Even if Canadian Aaron Doornekamp mustered only two points in Saratov, he is on the rise as he had 21 points in Den Bosch and 22 points in Oldenburg in back to back games showing that he is for real and giving hope that there is still a lot left in him for the stretch run. Quanantez Robertson continues to be the guy that holds the team together on offense and defense while rookie Sean Armand woos fans with his “you want buckets, there you go mentality” as his timely shooting has brought the club back and brought them forward in key game situations. However if one had to name two key factors why the Fraport Skyliners are one of the hottest Beko BBL teams and on the move higher up the standings and only four wins away from their first international title, you have to mention the players Justin Cobbs and Jacob Burtschi. Their combined record of 24-3 this season speaks for itself. The amazing thing about Cobbs is that he has been brilliant since he came to Frankfurt and just hasn´t let up and has scored in double figure games in 19 straight games. The only game where he didn´t score in double figures was his first in Leipzig against the Mitteldeutscher BC where he had just arrived to the team a day earlier. Cobbs is a guy like Dashaun Wood that can score in bunches and become explosive whenever he decides to turn on that Cobbs switch. He looks so controlled out on the floor most of the time and is a master of changing speeds. He gives Frankfurt so much stability something they didn´t have previously this season. Even though his stats may suggest that he is a scoring point guard, he actually is a pass first guard even if its hard to believe. When that night comes when his shot is cold, then one will see his passing qualities come to light. You could have been trapped in the bathroom and missed the game and not know who won after Cobbs exits the dressing room because he always has that same expression. The guy is always focused and just all business. He doesn´t want to be the best guard in Europe, but battle with the likes of Paul, Curry and Wall in the NBA. The club would not be sitting in the quarterfinals of the Eurochallenge without Cobbs. His record is 8-0 in Eurochallenge play. The one time where he sat out because of injury, Frankfurt lost at home to Avtodor Saratov 75-70.

Burtschi is such a heartwarming story. Last season was probably his toughest as a back injury seemingly seemed to end his career. How many times did everyone want him to shoot, but he didn´t which wasn´t more prevalent than in the last second loss to Tuebingen where he opted to dish a lob pass to Danilo Barthel that Frankfurt lost. Later after the season the club released a vague press release where no one really understood what was with Burtschi as he still was on the team, but the Oklahoma native stated that he was taking a break from basketball implying that retirement had set in. Burtschi spent much time at home in Oklahoma with family and helped his dad AD with team practices at Putnam City while also working out. Then all of a sudden came the news that he would resume his playing career in all places Mexico which is more known for its soccer than basketball. He never signed a contract and after one game and possibly a few burrito´s was back in Frankfurt. Since the arrival of Burtschi the team is 6-0 and the rest is history. Burtschi is known most for his strong shooting as he demonstrated as a rookie with Phoenix Hagen and in that year also won the Beko BBL allstar three point shooting contest in Trier. However Burtschi is so much more about having the ability to have that knack of hitting as if he was on a beach and his target is the ocean. He is the ultimate team player as he always demonstrates it again time in and time out. He can fill up the stat sheet and will risk an extra night of ice and headaches for that extra Boris Becker dive on the floor for the loose ball. In Den Bosch he set up three consecutive Frankfurt buckets with his unselfish play. He would probably battle Johannes Voigtmann for the best non point guard passer on the team. He will mix it up with anyone under the basket and just does so much that isn´t seen on the stat sheet. He may only have scored in double figures in two of six games, but he is still getting into rhythm after being out so long. At least in Eurochallenge play he has had the hot hand shooting 8/15 at 53% from the parking lot. But most importantly, Burtschi is the perfect extra captain on the court. With the untimely injury to Barthel, Burtschi is like that second captain on the floor. His leadership and return back has been a blessing in disguise. Just having the presence of Burtschi on the court has added a special touch of solidarity that the team didn´t have before. Burtschi is as deserving of a contract extension until the end of the season as Eddie Redmayne was for winning best actor 2015 for the theory of everything. Let me not forget to mention Grodon Herbert who has done an exceptional job finding Justin Cobbs and always believing in Jacob Burtschi that he could return and could still help the team at age 30. Herbert has always been a coach that knew how to get the most out of his players, but when that talent is raised a few notches, then there is almost always guaranteed success. The Fraport Skyliners are a delight to watch and the sky is the limit for the 2000 Beko BBL cup winner. The next two months will show if they can get to the Eurochallenge Final four and if they will finally reach the playoffs again since 2011. But first the question is can the overtime streak continue as for some reason as of late overtime is in the blood of the Fraport Skyliners or will fans see a boring blow out win against the Mitteldeutscher BC on Sunday something which probably would do them and the players bodies and mind some good for a change.

 

 

Janic Staiger is a 18 year old 180 cm point guard playing for German NBBL team Urspring. He started his basketball career at TSG Soeflingen and then went to Urspring. Last season he was a NBBL finalist. He talked to German Hoops in Frankfurt after an Urspring loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.

 

 

Janic thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 67-60 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. What were the main reasons for the loss?

 

It is very hard to pin point it exactly after the game, but Frankfurt played very well. We never were able to get into the game. Whenever we came back they had the right answers with big shots. We got into foul problems early and they dominated the boards.

 

 

Urspring has dominated the NBBL south west. What is the secret of the success of the team?

 

We are like a family. We spend a lot of time together off the court and our togetherness of the court translates to success on the court.

 

 

Eintracht Frankfurt is a very good defensive teams and have held teams in the NBBL to under 50 points 11 times. Is there any weakness with this club?

 

If there was one weakness that I had to mention then it would be their transition defense, but other than that they are a great team. We have to keep working hard to become better.

 

 

Mahir Agva and Niklas Kiel are the stars of both teams. Who does Kiel remind you of and what do you like about his game?

 

Every player has their own style. I like his game a lot. He has a big future and is a nice guy. I have a good relationship with him.

 

 

What kind of team does Urspring become when Mahir Agva isn´t playing? Sometimes he has to play for Erdgas Ehingen in the German pro A?

 

We are still a good team when he isn´t on the court. When that is the case we have many other guys that can step up like a Marko Sarac who take on a bigger role.

 

Do you feel that Urspring and Eintracht Frankfurt will be teams that will be in the NBBL Top 4?

I think that both teams have good chances to reach the Top 4. We want to win this year. We still have a long way to go, but will continue to keep working hard.

 

How much is the 2014 NBBL loss still lingering in the minds of the players? Is this years team better than last years team?

 

That is hard to say. We lost guys from last year and got new players this season. We know what we achieved last season and want to take the next step this year and win it all. We are very focused during practice and games and are working hard to reach that goal.

 

 

You have been with Urspring since a small kid. What does it mean to play for the best German basketball academy?

 

 

It has an honor to play for the Urspring academy. My brother played here as well other great players like Kevin Bright, Maurice Stuckey or Nicolai Simon. After seeing how far my brother has gone as a player, I want to keep working hard and become better.

 

 

 

You recently turned 18. How have you seen your game develop in the last two years

 

I have worked on my shot the last two years as well as my defense and off ball defense

 

How is your relationship to head coach Dominek Reinboth? How has he helped develop your game this season?

 

I have a good relationship with him. He has taught every player on the team something. He helped me improve my shot.

 

Do you feel much pressure being the brother of Lucca Staiger? Is there ever a day where somebody doesn´t ask you something about him?

 

I am often not called Janic but the brother of Lucca Staiger. But that is ok, because I am proud that he is my brother and what he has achieved. I know that I need to make my own name and I am on my way of doing that.

 

 

 

How is your relationship with your brother and how as a brother has he helped you most with the game of basketball?

 

I have a great relationship with him. We talk each day and he gives me tips. He called me before the game in Frankfurt and told me stay cool and play my game.

 

 

 

He is a shooting guard and you are a point guard. What chose you to be more a creater instead of a sniper?

 

My size. I am 180cm and he is 196cm. I knew when I was 14 that I would be a point guard.

 

Would you define yourself more as a classic point guard or something in between?

 

I am a combo guard, but when I am playing the point I score and set up my teammates.

 

 

What is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away?

 

My passion. I am always hustling and playing with heart.

 

When you were living in Berlin you used to try to get tips form the games of Heiko Schaffartzik and Taylor Rochestie. What did you especially like about the game of Dashaun Wood?

 

I saw many practices of Alba Berlin. I liked how Wood used his speed and eye on the court. He was also a great defender and just the complete player.

 

You are 18 now and what plans do you have for the future? Is the NCAA and option for you or

 

I am thinking about college. Lucca has told me much about his time in the States and it was a good experience for him. I know that there is a different culture there, but I think that doing that would be good for me. I will finish school next season and play one more season of NBBL and then see what I will do

 

Who wins a one on one in practice you or Maximillian Eisele?

 

It goes back and forth.

 

 

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 

Remember the Titans.

 

Thanks Janic for the chat.

The last time that German Rouven Roessler played in the basketball city Mainhatten gym, he had teammates like ex German national players Robert Maras or Gerrit Terdenge or Americans like Obe Trotter, Michael Umeh or Tory Walker who could wear a black suit with the best of them, but back in 2006 and 2007 the two games didn´t count in the standings, but were preseason games with his then team Giessen 46ers against the then called Deutsche Bank Skyliners. Roessler is a 34 year old 198cm small forward that has played most of his basketball career in Karlsruhe this being his 12^th season as he had two quick years in Giessen and a very short intermezzo in Spain with Caceres 2016 C.B. (Spain-LEB Gold). He returned back to Karlsruhe in 2008 because he felt comfortable there and despite being one of the best German players at that time decided to keep playing for the team where he started his career BG Karlsruhe despite getting great offers from better teams in Germany. Roessler is a pure scorer and has been getting buckets his whole career and in the last six seasons in the German pro A averaged 15,0ppg twice, 17ppg twice and 18,0ppg twice. This season in the German pro B, the German veteran is averaging 13,2ppg, 4,2rpg and 2,1apg and has scored in double figures 14 times including a 28 point explosion in a 73-68 victory against Schwelm. Roessler returned back to Frankfurt, but instead of putting up jumpers in the 5,000 Fraport arena where he played five years with BG Karlsruhe and Giessen, he came back to the little cozy BCM gym where he played the last time 8 years ago in an exhibition with Giessen, but this time it was a regular season game where a win was rewarded with a trip to the playoffs for both teams. Even if the 19 point effort by Roessler was overshadowed by the wrecking crew of the Brotherson and Dorsey show, he was just as important in the 88-83 OT win as he was all smiles after the victory not only seeing old Giessen faces that made the trip to Frankfurt, but also Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert that made a brief appearance before heading to the airport to travel to Russia for their Eurochallenge game. “I always liked playing in Frankfurt. The BCM may not be as loud as the Fraport arena, but it was nice seeing familiar faces and even Gordon Herbert where I got my first BBL win against with BG Karlsruhe in 2004. I think that was a good game for the fans. Both teams were eye to eye and I think we had a bit more luck at the end”, stressed ex Giessen 46er Rouven Roessler. A win could of propelled the Fraport Skyliners Juniors into the playoffs, but instead the club couldn´t carry that recent positive overtime feeling of Beko BBL team Fraport Skyliners as they lost the overtime period 12-7. “It was an interesting game where both teams shot very well in the first half. In the second half, both teams played with more intensity and shots weren´t falling as frequently anymore. In overtime it was the little things that made the difference. We had two costly turnovers at the end and Brotherson hurt us all day long, but especially at the end with his intensity, rebounding and basket”, added Fraport Skyliner Stefan Ilzhoefer. “You always have to give 100% when you play against Rouven Roessler, because he is so experienced”, stressed Armin Musovic.

Before the game started two ex Beko BBL players had a nice greeting for each other as Marius Nolte and Rouven Roessler shock hands as they dueled against each other from 2006-2008 as they played for Paderborn and Giessen. Frankfurt was without Stefan Ilzhoefer, Tim Oldenburg and Kevin Bright. BG Karlsruhe got early production from Aussie Paul Brotherson who scored inside twice and gave Frankfurt an early indication what was awaiting them inside. 17 year old 2015 NBBL allstar Niklas Kiel got Frankfurt on the board putting home a mini ally-op pass from American Andrew Bock and Kyle Fossman got going early hitting a three pointer for the Frankfurt 5-4 advantage. Frankfurt kept the offensive pressure on as Bock nailed a pull up jumper and Fossmann connected on his second three pointer as Frankfurt led 11-6. Brotherson scored on a transition dunk, Johannes Richter made a lay in and Maryland native Jimmy Dorsey made a pull up jumper as BG Karlsruhe trailed 15-10. Offense continued to take center stage as defense was put on the back burner as the game became a three point shooting clinic as American Kenny Fluellen, Fossman, Dorsey and Richter connected on consecutive three pointers as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors led 21-16. BG Karlsruhe continued to hover on the heels of Frankfurt, but were unable to retake the lead. Frankfurt countered with a Richter lay in for the 23-16 lead. BG Karlsruhe continued to be able to match the Frankfurt offense as Dorsey made his first step to good use getting an easy lay up and 26 year old German David Watson who played 7 Beko BBL games in the 2006-2007 season with BG Karlsruhe dropped a three pointer cutting the Frankfurt lead to 24-21. Frankfurt kept the lead until the end as Kiel hit a pull up jumper, Brotherson made a three pointer and Kiel nailed a runner as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors led 28-24. “We didn´t have that defensive nip that we needed. We were rebounding well on defense, but not on offense”, stressed Tim Oldenburg. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 53% from the field and 50% from outside while BG Karlsruhe was shooting 67% from the field and 67% from outside. Frankfurt had the 9-6 rebound edge and no turnovers while BG Karlsruhe had two turnovers.

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to stay ahead and thanks to the Jules Akodo show who scored 13 of the 17 second quarter Frankfurt points and 13 in a row to lead 45-42 after 20 minutes. Ex Cape Breton(CIS) guard Jimmy Dorsey got BG Karlsruhe on the board first making a beautiful forward step and then step back over Lennart Okeke as BG Karlsruhe trailed only 28-27. Then out of nowhere came Jules Akodo who had already had a positive experience the day before leading the NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt with 22 over German legendary basketball academy Urspring stepped into the limelight leading his team on a 13-2 run scoring all points. One probably could of put a blindfold over his eyes and he still would of hit as he was sizzling hot hitting three three pointers, a lay in off a steal going coast to coast and connecting on a floater as Frankfurt led 41-29. “Akodo had a great weekend and I think that he made big steps in these two games. I think that he was very motivated to play against the well known academy Urspring and that carried on to this game. He made big shots the whole weekend”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior guard Armin Musovic. However the second quarter was a tale of two stories as BG Karlsruhe took a page out of the Frankfurt massive run going into halftime with a 13-4 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 45-42. Even if he didn´t score 13 points in this run the way Akodo did earlier, 34 year old Rouven Roessler was the catalyst in the BG Karlsruhe run as he produced 8 points including two three pointers. He also was involved in two perfect back to back fast break plays as he retrieved a touch down pass from Brotherson for the reverse lay up and then made a pretty touch pass to Watson who fed Brotherson for the two handed dunk. Later he set up the Englishman Robert Gilchrist for the massive ally-op dunk as he faked the floater which turned into a pass. Frankfurt couldn´t muster much on offense in this phase as they missed shots and free throws. “Akodo was big, but we are starting to expect that from him. He is so quick that he usually will take care of his defenders. We were better on defense, but not as aggressive as we could have been”, stated Tim Oldenburg. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 47% from the field and 54% from the three point line while BG Karlsruhe was shooting 50% from the field and 50% from the three point line. Frankfurt still dominated the rebound battle 23-14, but had four turnovers while BG Karlsruhe had three turnovers.

In the third quarter, BG Karlsruhe was able to retake the lead as the game was even. BG Karlsruhe came out of halftime strong going on a 12-2 run to retake the lead 54-47 as the Fraport Skyliners had to be careful not to let the opponent run away with the game. In the run it was Dorsey who showed that he doesn´t need to score much for his team to be successful as he played set up man finding his teammates. Dorsey first found Gilchrist with the ally-op tip in and then snatched an offensive rebound kicking the ball out to Georgia native Ken Fluellen for the three pointer. Roessler also contributed another three pointer, Fluellen a pull up jumper and 20 year old German Moritz Thomany scored inside. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors seemed to be in an offensive funk, but like a day earlier in the NBBL game, it was Jules Akodo sparking his team with a three pointer which must of infected Okeke as well as he followed up with a three point bomb as well cutting the BG Karlsruhe lead to 54-53. Frankfurt continued to trail, but kept fighting as Okeke also demonstrated his penetration finding daylight for an easy bucket. After a Brotherson lay up who was set up by Dorsey, it was work horse Kiel getting back to back buckets with a mid distance shot and put back giving Frankfurt the lead back at 59-58. The lead would change hands three more times at the end as Roessler hit free throws, Akodo scored inside and Watson nailed a three pointer for the 63-61 BG Karlsruhe lead. Richter closed out the third quarter with an offensive rebound and put back as the game was deadlocked 63-63 after 30 minutes. “We had a bad start because we settled too much for jumpers and didn´t get in the paint”, expressed Jules Akodo. “We had a great start and were very aggressive on the rebound and set the tempo”, said BG Karlsruhe guard David Watson. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 50% from the parking lot while BG Karslruhe was shooting 49% from the field and 48% from the parking lot. Frankfurt still had the huge rebound edge 32-21, but eight rebounds while BG Karlsruhe had five rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, it was BG Karlsruhe who continued to set the tone of the game and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors needed a timely come back in the last few minutes to force overtime. Just like in the third quarter, BG Karlsruhe started off the fourth quarter with a run of 9-2 to lead 72-65. Brotherson started off the run dropping a three pointer which was quickly matched by a Fossman jumper. BG Karlsruhe continued to capitalize off Frankfurt turnovers as Brotherson scored inside and Fluellen connected on a floater. Gilchrist also scored on the fast break. Kiel and Roessler then traded buckets, but BG Karlsruhe still led 74-67. Frankfurt started to play better defense getting stops, but also couldn´t score on offense and also had problems at the free throw line. After a Roessler miss, it was Richter who answered with a huge three pointer to cut the BG Karlsruhe lead to 74-71. Brotherson who played with a high intensity for 40 minutes then extended the BG Karlsruhe lead to 76-71 with a reverse lay up. Kiel then hit a mid distance jumper as Frankfurt trailed 76-73. Frankfurt kept fighting and tied the game with Mr big shot Jules Akodo at 76-76. Frankfurt even could of won the game as Fossman made a steal, but Richter missed a last second shot sending the game into overtime. “In the last minutes of the fourth quarter, it seemed like Frankfurt knew our plays and defended us accordingly. We took some wild shots and Frankfurt got big shots”, stressed David Watson. “We played very aggressive defense at the end. I am happy that my teammates had confidence in me taking that last shot”, commented Jules Akodo. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 44% from outside while BG Karlsruhe was shooting 49% from the field and 42% from outside. Frankfurt had the overwhelming 41-29 rebound advantage, but 11 turnovers and BG Karlsruhe had 10 turnovers.

In the overtime period, it was Fraport Skyliner guard Armin Musovic that got his team going hitting a three pointer, but BG Karlsruhe nailed two consecutive three pointers from the wrecking crew of Brotherson and Dorsey to take the 82-79 lead and they would never look back. Richter then kept Frankfurt on track with an offensive rebound and put back to trail 82-81. German Adrian Lind then connected on free throws as BG Karlsruhe led 84-81. However two consecutive Frankfurt turnovers led to a Brotherson left hand tip in and Dorsey free throws as BG Karlsruhe put a clamp on the game leading 87-81. After a Roessler free throw, it was Andrew Bock that hit a jumper at the buzzer, but it was too little too late as BG Karlsruhe won their third game in their last six games. “We weren´t tired in overtime. I think that we weren´t able to play our style. We weren´t aggressive enough on the offensive board”, added Jules Akodo. “We played with more intensity and the Brotherson basket was key”, added David Watson. “Our will to win wasn´t there at the end. You could see that Brotherson just wanted it more than we did”, stressed Armin Musovic. BG Karlsruhe was led by Paul Brotherson with 25 points and five rebounds. Rouven Roessler added 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. Jimmy Dorsey contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Jules Akodo with 21 points. Johannes Richter added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Niklas Kiel contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Kyle Fossman chipped in with 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists. BG Karlsruhe shot 48% from the field and 43% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 43% from the field and 40% from the three point line. Frankfurt won the rebound battle 48-34, but had 14 turnovers while BG Karlsruhe had 10 turnovers.

 

 

At 1.00pm on a Saturrday afternoon it is still too early to catch any German Fussball Bundesliga, Beko BBL, Pro A or Pro B and German sports fans may have already been having thoughts about what new amazing things would be happening with their favorite players and teams, but even at lunch time, one is able to witness entertaining sports as about 100 fans did in Frankfurt as the absolute top teams of the youth league NBBL south west Team Urspring battled against Eintracht Frankfurt. Both teams entered the afternoon having won 27 games combined and having only lost two games as they were fighting for the top spot in the standings. In their first meeting this season, Urspring defeated Eintracht Frankfurt in their living room76-69 as a high field goal percentage and rebounding were the keys for Germany´s top basketball academy to come out on top. In the rematch in Frankfurt, Eintracht Frankfurt came into the game with a lot of revenge feelings and had control of the game for 40 minutes even if they could never totally blow away their opponent as they won the defensive battle 67-60. Jules Akodo stole the show from team stars Niklas Kiel and Mahir Agva scoring 22 points and whenever Urspring was threatening to come back nailed big shots. Two key factors for the loss for Urspring were the 16 missed free throws and their inability to set the tone on the boards which Eintracht Frankfurt totally dominated 44-31. After the game Eintracht Frankfurt point guard Armin Musovic was delighted about the win and even had to briefly interrupt his words as he gave retired player Jakob Merz a big hug. “I am happy that we got revenge today. We just wanted to prove after our first loss that we could win. Coach told us before the game that if we could win the rebounding then we would win. Our offense was consistent and was led by Jules Akodo. We did a good job on defense as anytime you can hold an Urspring to 60 points than you can be happy. We did a good job taking Mahir Agva out of the game. The only negative stat for us were the 20 turnovers”, stated Armin Musovic. It wa s only the second loss for Urspring as they fought back at the end, but just ran out of time. “Frankfurt played very well. We never were able to get into the game. Whenever we came back they had the right answers with big shots. We got into foul problems early and they dominated the boards”, stressed Urspring guard Janic Staiger.

NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt came into the game being the top defensive teamin their division having held teams to under 50 points 11 times including 36 against the Junior Baskets Rhein Neckar and knew that they would have a tough assignment against top team Urspring. A top game like this garnered much attention as a majority of the Fraport Skyliner Juniors were in attendance as well as injured Fraport Skyliner Konstantin Klein who was in between work outs as well as ex Urspring player Kevin Bright who even spent a few minutes watching the game from their bench as well as agents who were observing the future of German basketball. In the first few minutes there were four lead changes until Eintracht Frankfurt was able to keep the lead half way through the first quarter and would never trail again. In the first few minutes it was Niklas Kiel and Mahir Agva that brought that early intensity to their respective team getting to the free throw line and hitting buckets. Eintracht Frankfurt also established their inside game early as 17 year old 203cm forward Ivan Mihaljevic scored inside twice for the 10-5 Eintracht Frankfurt lead. 18 year old Agva who played in Giessen 7 hours later contributing 27 points in a Pro A loss for Erdgas Ehingen and his first Beko BBL game as a 16 year old for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen dropped a three pointer as Urspring trailed only 11-10. After Musovic and Trtova dropped free throws, it was Agva that nailed two free throws, but then it was Jules Akodo who showed his first example of being a nasty comeback blocker as he made a bucket and free throw to keep Eintracht Frankfurt in front 17-13 after one quarter. Both teams had horrible shooting percentages after 10 minutes as Eintracht Frankfurt was shooting 30% from the field and 0% from outside while Urspirng was shooting 21% from the field and 22% from outside. Eintracht Frankfurt had the commanding 14-8 rebound edge, but an unhealthy six turnovers while Urspring had four turnovers.

Except for a little comeback scare midway through the second quarter, Eintracht Frankfurt was able to end the second quarter on a 10-6 run to lead 35-28 at halftime. Akodo displayed his aggressiveness right from the start drawing two fouls, but left two shots on the rim as Eintracht Frankfurt led 19-13. Eintracht Frankfurt then found some consistency on offense getting three buckets as Niklas Kiel who recently was named to the Allstar team at the Basketball without boarders global camp in New York fought against Agva in the zone with a spin move and sudden step back jumper finding nothing but net while the big man was off balance, Musovic nailed his bread and butter pull up jumper and then found teammate Mihaljevic on the pick and role for the easy lay in as Eintracht Frankfurt led 25-16. However Urspring found a spark of energy from Lars Berger who tested his 36% three point shooting percentage and Nikolaus Schaffer his 28% three point percentage and both hit consecutive shots getting their team back to 25-22. However the story of the game was Jules Akodo who had the audacity and skill of hitting big shots whenever Urspring had retrieved the momentum and was threatening to narrow the lead as he nailed a three pointer for the 28-22 advantage. Then it was 17 year old Trtovac who used his massive body and 112 kilos to muscle home a lay in after getting the perfect feed from Musovic. Then Urspring got free throws from Schaffer and he then made a steal and went coast to coast catching the Eintracht Frankfurt transition defense napping as they narrowed the Eintracht Frankfurt lead to 30-26. However then as if the basketball god had addressed him to stop that Urspring comeback again, it was Akodo again stopping the opponents new comeback run with another three pointer and lay in as Eintracht Frankfurt led 35-26. Maximillian Eisele closed out the second quarter with free throws, but Eintracht Frankfurt led 35-28. Eintracht Frankfurt drastically improved their shooting in the second quarter as now they were shooting 48% from the field and 50% from the three point line while Urspring was shooting 24% from the field and 29% from the three point line. Eintracht Frankfurt still had the overwhelming 25-13 rebound edge, but had 11 turnovers while Urspring had five turnovers.

In the third quarter Team Urspring continued to fight and stayed on the heels of Eintracht Frankfurt, but still couldn´t put together the complete package to retake the lead. Armin Musovic started off the scoring in the third quarter with a pretty left hand lay in. Here and there Urspring would showcase outstanding ball movement and when they did they would be rewarded as Lars Berger connected on an open three point bomb cutting the Eintracht Frankfurt lead to 38-32. Trtovac then displayed old school basketball hitting a hook shot and Eisele made a shot as Eintracht Frankfurt led 40-35. Akodo was always preying on that opportunity to capitalize on an Urspring mistake and did as Agva missed three of four free throws and then upped the Eintracht Frankfurt lead to 45-36 hitting consecutive buckets with a three pointer and lay in. Despite missing another two free throws, Agva erased his mistakes getting a three pointer and free throw as Urspirng trailed 45-41. Now it was time for another magical act from Akodo which he did with a lay in, but he was also aided by his teammate 18 year old 190cm shooting guard Can Akbayar who nailed two three pointers once again halting the Urspring come back as Eintracht Frankfurt led 54-45 after three quarters. Eintracht Frankfurt continued to have high shooting percentages as they were shooting 47% from the field and 56% from the parking lot while Urspring was shooting 32% from the field and 38% from the parking lot. Eintracht Frankfurt still had the huge rebound advantage 34-23, but coughed up the ball 13 times while Urspring had nine turnovers.

In the fourth quarter despite Eintracht Frankfurt starting off with an 8-0 run Urspring was able to stage one last comeback, but came up short as time ran out. In the 8-0 run it was Musovic who hit consecutive three pointers and Niklas Kiel got busy on the offensive glass swiping an offensive rebound and registering the put back as Eintracht Frankfurt led 62-45. Despite this 8-0 shock from Eintracht Frankfurt, Urspring wasn´t impressed and was able to close out the game on a positive note finishing with a 15-4 run, but fell short losing 67-60. In the run it was Agva doing damage scoring on the pick and role from Eisele and hitting a three pointer. Urspring 17 year old small forward Benaissa Traore also added production with a three pointer and put back. Eintracht Frankfurt couldn´t muster more than Lennart Okeke free throws and a Mihaljevic step back jumper, but Eintracht Frankfurt played exceptional for 36 minutes and at the end what counts was the win. Eintracht Frankfurt was led by Jules Akodo with 22 points. Armin Musovic added 12 points and six assists. Team Urspring was led by Mahir Agva with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Maximillian Eisele added 12 points and Nikolaus Schaffer contributed 11 points. Eintracht Frankfurt finished the game shooting 45% from the field and 44% from outside while Team Urspring shot 34% from the field and 36% from outside. Eintracht Frankfurt dominated the rebound battle 44-31, but ended with a disappointing 20 turnovers while Urspring had 14 turnovers.

 

 

 

Myles Hesson is a 24 year old 195 cm forward from Birmingham, England and was one of the 12 best players in Great Britain in 2013 and was selected for the 2013 national team playing in Slovenia at the Eurochampionships. He currently is playing in the Beko BBL for the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven.Last season he played for the Giessen 46ers (ProA) playing 33 games: 16.1ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 30.1%, FT: 78.8%. Two seasons ago he played for Weissenhorn Youngstars (Germany-ProB, starting five): 20 games: 19.7ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.5apg, 1.7spg, 1.5bpg, 2FGP: 54.4%, 3FGP: 27.4%, FT: 65.6%, in Mar.’13 moved to Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany-BBL): 9 games: 4.2ppg, 2.8rpg. He started his professional career in 2009-2010 for  Birmingham Aces (EBL2) averaging 13.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 2FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 33.3%. In 2010-2011, he played for the Essex Pirates Basketball Club (BBL): 11 games: 9.5ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 47.1%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 68.4%. In 2011-2012 he played for Liverpool Mersey Tigers (BBL, starting five): 27 games: 15.1ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 61.5%. He spoke to German Hoops after the big 92-85 win against Phoenix Hagen.

 

Congrats Myles on the huge 92-85 win at home against Phoenix Hagen snapping a nine game losing streak. Was this the worst losing streak in your career? How difficult was it staying focused and not getting too down?

Thank you. Yes it was one of the worst. It wasn’t difficult to keep focused because we wanted so badly to win.

How important was it getting a win after losing the first two games under new head coach Muli Katzurin? Was the faith still as strong as when he first came on board last week?

It was very important to get us back on the right track.yes we didn’t let the first two losses get us down.

It was a high scoring game which fits the style of Phoenix Hagen. What in the end was key for getting the win?

We had a good rotation and everyone who came in contributed offensively and defensively.

Was it holding the dangerous penetrator point guard Zamal Nixon to one point half of the rent for getting the win?

Yes, credit to our guards for playing great defense on him and Bell.

Sergio Kerusch made his debut scoring 11 points in 13 minutes being very effective. How impressed have you been with his quick transition to the team and what will be his biggest strength that he will give the team?

Sergio is a good teammate and a talented player. His energy and athleticism will really help us.

With Lorenzo Williams and Jerry Smith the team has a very solid point guard duo. How confident are you that with them they will lead the team to stay in the BBL?

I am very confident with them at the point guard spot, they are both experienced and reliable players.

The team had six guys contribute scoring in double figures. Is that focus of team basketball back with the team which it already possessed earlier in the season?

Yeah it was a great team effort. Playing games like that were everyone gets touches and plays together are the best.

You were team top scorer with 21 points and have heightened your game in the last weeks. Do. you see your role changing under the new head coach Katzurin?

Yes my role has changed a bit under the new coach. I just try to do whatever it is I can to help the team win

 

What has been your impression of Muli Katzurin. He is a very tough coach and stresses defense. What has impressed you most about his philosophy in the early going?

I like how direct he is in knowing what he wants us to do at both ends of the court.

English player Orlan Jackman told me that you would have no chance against him in a one on one battle on the court. How do you see a match ending between you too?

haha Orlan is a very talented player, I am not one to back away from challenge, it would be an interesting game thats all I will say.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Nightcrawler

 

Thanks Myles for the chat.

Orlan Jackman is a 26 year old 201cm forward playing his second season with the NOMA Iserlohn Kangaroos (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career at Seminole State (JUCO).He then played two years at Oklahoma City University (NAIA): 27 games: 13.4ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.4apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 69.6%. In 2012 he started his professional basketball career with the London Lions (BBL) playing 30 games: 16.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 28.2%, FT: 60.8%. He recently spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

 

 

 

Thanks Orlan for talking to German HoopsYou are playing your second season in Germany with the Noma Iserlohn Kangaroos. What have you learned to appreciate the most about the country Germany on and off the court?

The things about Germany I like a lot is how friendly and welcoming the city of Iserlohn was when I first arrived.

The Noma Iserlohn Kangaroos are playing a great season so far having a 15-3 record. Are you surprised the club has played so well considering it came from the Regionaliga?

Last year, we were told that Regionaligga West was the toughest out of the the Regionaligas and also that the level of competition is not very different in the Pro B and so I am not surprised by how well we are doing. We have worked hard for what we have so far and will continue working until May.

 

The club has only two import players and many young German players. What has been the secret of the success of the team?

The secret to our success is a secret… hahahaha if I told you then it wouldn’t be a secret any more.

 

How important have Germans Thomas Reuter and Yannik Opitz been this season. How have you seen their development continue?

All of our players are important German, English, American, old, and young. Thomas and Yannick are very important players for us and have made important plays on both, ask Schewlm. Their development is going extremely well as the team continues to gel together.

You are the leading scorer and rebounder on the team. What is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t always get noticed right away?

A hidden strength of mine, probably being a team player. I truly believe that a team wins a game. If I was to have a good game, it would be because my team helped me have a good game and not because I made shots or something and my teammates know this.

Does this Iserlohn team have the capability of moving up to the German Pro A next season?

If we play the defense that we are able to play and do it better in the playoffs then I honestly believe that Iserlohn will be in the Pro A next year.

 

What do you appreciate most about head coach Matthias Grothe? How has your game developed best under his guidance?

Matthias is a brilliant coach that loves the game and wants to see Iserlohn do well. I appreciate the extra effort that coach does to make the team enjoy practice while learning about basketball and promoting team chemistry. My game has developed leaps and bounds under his guidance. Personally, I believe decision making has improved as I am turning the ball over less and FG% from everywhere as well as enjoyment which is why people play sport in the first place, For the love of the game.

Your stats are pretty much the same from last season in the Regionaliga. What for you has been the biggest adjustment you had to make coming to the German Pro B?

The adjustment was being more of a leader. The team looks up to me because I am the import player and I notice that whenever we (the team) enter into a difficult or unknown situation, I am the one that is looked upon to do something about it so far I am doing okay but I need to improve, there is always room for improvement no matter what.

What was your wake up call to being a professional in your rookie season with the London Lions (BBL) where you knew ok I have arrived as a professional?

My wake up call was when I laced up for the first game, an away game in Manchester, and realized that the days of playing about people of similar age are over. Time to be a man or run like a boy.

When you look back at how your career has come along going form a JUCO school to an NAIA school to being a part of the British national team and professional in Germany what do you think was the biggest factor that has gotten you this far?

A good network of people supporting me from when I first started playing and telling me that anything is achievable as long as you work for what you want and to work hard with what you have been given. And to NEVER give up, just look at what my brother Jermain Jackman is doing in the UK. He has the same belief as I do.

Errick Mccollum played in the NAIA and currently is averaging 39 points in China and recently scored 82 points a game. How much does his story make you want to keep working hard seeing how far he has come coming from an NAIA school?

His story is great for anyone that thinks because you attended an NAIA that sports is over once you graduate.

In 2013 you were part of the British national team. What kind of experience was that coming off a huge London Summer league?

Getting to be a part of a National Team is an amazing feeling. Firstly, to be considered the top of your craft and to see that the hard work that has put in is being recognized by those who know what is going on.

Who wins a one on one in practice you or Myles Hesson?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA a 1 on 1 between me and Birmingham’s Finest… Sorry Myles but I have to go with me hahahaha

How do you get Matthias Grothe to laugh?

You do not get Matthias to laugh during practice, errrmm maybe during video if he asks what a good shot is and you say it is because of Splash O (Olaf Rostek).

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD I watched was Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Juice In The Hood.

 

Thanks for Orlan for the chat.

 

 

Even if professional basketball players all had their games last weekend, it wasn´t difficult to get lost in the 2015 NBA Allstar weekend festivities as fans were hand fed amazing feats as Russell Westbrook scorched the East team with 41 points including a record 27 second half points, Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry won the three point shooting contest nailing 27 points and new dunk sensation Zach Lavine brought back some hope winning the slam dunk contest to a seemingly dwindling competition as the Vince Carter´s and Dominique Wilkins of yesterday are a distant memory to what innovation and skill once was. With the NBA allstar weekend in New York 72 hours old, there was enough time for Den Bosch guard Brandyn Curry to concentrate on Eurochallenge play even if his experiences in the last weeks had been as difficult as it is for a Yale fan to put on a Harvard jersey. In the last weeks, the ex Harvard Crimsen guard had been involved in some very spectacular games as he lost a hard fought battle in Frankfurt almost leading his team to victory with 27 points, a week later hit a game winner against Tartu Rock steering 20 points, then lost back to back games against Russian team Avtodor Saratov including a double OT loss at home where they were leading by 10 points with three minutes to play, but threw the game away. Instead of possibly being 3-1, Den Bosch was 1-3 having lost the three games combined only by 10 points and now had a do or die game in their own living room against the Fraport Skyliners who came into the game with a 3-1 record and could clinch a berth in the quarterfinals with a victory. For Popeye the sailor man giving his body some spinach some extra energy to perform at the highest level is a given, but if Curry gave his system a few portions of cheese cake before the game was unknown as that was a food he liked in his high school cafeteria and it is no secret that yummy cheese cake can be found in Holland but he got going again, but left the floor as a looser again for the third consecutive Eurochallenge game 94-92 in double OT as the SPM Shoeters lost all three games by a combined score of only seven points. If there is any consolation he won the head to head duel against future NBA player Justin Cobbs again outscoring him 26-23, but didn´t get the ticket to the Eurochallenge quarterfinals which Frankfurt did. “This was a tough game and it has been just such a crazy experience the last weeks with all the close loses. We could have been 4-1, but it goes to show that you have to pay attention to minor details if you want to win the close games. This game was a battle that saw both teams having the game on the line. We made a great comeback, but my tip my hat to Frankfurt who played great. The battle against Cobbs was great. I couldn´t take any plays off and couldn´t gamble the way I wanted to because he is always attacking the basket”, stressed ex Harvard guard Brandyn Curry. After the win Justin Cobbs departed the locker room like always donning a Los Angeles Dodgers hat and one wouldn´t have known if Frankfurt had lost by 40, won by 30 or won on a buzzer beater, because his expression is always the same and he was proud of his team making history and reaching the first quarterfinal and talked about the rookie C goals of both him and Curry. “It means a lot to have made history and I take a lot of pride in this team. We kept our composure and made plays when we had to. I think if we keep playing this well sky is the limit for us. It was another great battle against Curry. He made shots when he had to. His goal of being the best point guard in Europe is great and my goal is to play in the NBA with Lebron, Kobe and my cousin Russell Westbrock. We all have different goals”, stressed Fraport Skyliner guard Justin Cobbs. After having a cold 1/10 shooting day in Frankfurt with seven points, Georgia native Chris Denson was the game´s high scorer with 28 points, but like Curry was unable to get his team over the hump in crunch time. “This loss really hurts. Frankfurt is a good team. Their defense hurt us in the first half as they were very physical. They did a good job taking away the things we do well, but we regrouped came back in the second half and the game could of gone either way”, stressed SPM Shoeters Den Bosch guard Chris Denson.

The Fraport Skyliners entered the game without Mike Morrison, Konstantin Klein and Danilo Barthel all out to injury and didn´t waste anytime getting off to a hot start taking a 15-2 lead as the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch looked like they still had not recovered from the carnival festivities that had accompanied the Dutch city days before. In the run, the Fraport Skyliners demonstrated a sound inside out game as Sean Armand connected on his first two jumpers and Quantez Robertson followed with a step back jumper. Frankfurt then got more production from downtown as Canadian Aaron Doornekamp and Robertson fired home three pointers. Den Bosch seemed a bit nervous and like a 6 year old kid that has that angst of the first day of school. Frankfurt was defending like a nasty lion forcing Den Bosch to unwanted turnovers. In the down stretch of the first quarter, Frankfurt finally got production from their big men as German national player Johannes Voigtmann hit a step back jumper and Johannes Richter added a tip in at the buzzer. Den Bosch got needed production from 31 year old center Marcel Arts who is playing his 13^th season with the team and twice showed the young German centers old school moves with a slick finger tip role in that had Voigtmann wondering how he managed to slip that by him and another lay in as he tip toed inside for the clean finish. After one quarter the Fraport Skyliners had the comfortable 19-8 advantage. “Frankfurt started the game with strong intensity. We moved the ball very well on offense and were talking on defense”, stated Gordon Herbet son Daniel Herbert. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the field and 50% from outside while Den Bosch was shooting30% from the field and 0% from outside. Frankfurt had the 13-6 rebound edge and both teams had five turnovers a piece.

The Fraport Skyliners kept their momentum in the second quarter until the mid way point where they lost some of their intensity letting Den Bosch put a dent into their play finishing the second quarter with a 11-2 run to lead 39-28 after 10 minutes. Den Bosch got on the board first with a Curry floater, but Frankfurt then quickly rushed out on a 13-4 run to lead 32-14. In this run the unsung hero was Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi that once again defined what the ultimate team player is as he assisted on three consecutive Frankfurt buckets giving up a good shot for a great shot as he found Justin Cobbs parked all alone in the corner for three, then penetrated, but saw the better positioned Voigtman for the put back and then fed Doornekamp for an open outside shot. Steffan Wessels of Den Bosch that played his 47^th Eurochallenge game and has won four Dutch league titles interrupted the Frankfurt run with a three pointer. Frankfurt then got a massive two handed dunk from Voigtman who was set up by Doornekamp and Sean Armand then made a steal feeding Doornekamp for the easy lay in as Frankfurt was in command 37-17. Frankfurt continued to have an offensive flow and combined good defense with stronger offense. However as so often is the case, the game received a rift as the home team finally found some consistency on offense as ex Auburn guard Chris Denson started to get hot as his penetration was baffling Frankfurt until halftime leading Den Bosch on a 11-3 run into halftime notching eight points as the Dutch team trailed only 39-28. Dension scored twice with his bread and butter penetration and dropped four free throws. “Frankfurt wasn´t moving the ball well, played too much one on one and it wasn´t so much about the play of Den Bosch, but more about us”, stressed Daniel Herbert. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 40% from the three point line while the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch was shooting 40% from the field and 14,3% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the 22-11 rebound advantage, but 11 turnovers while Den Bosch had eight turrnovers.

In the third quarter the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch continued to be a thorn in the side of the Fraport Skyliners never going away, but continuing to hammer on the back door of Frankfurt that kept a healthy lead until the end where a Dutch run cut the Frankfurt lead to 55-48. Chris Denson got Den Bosch on the board first with an off balance runner, but Frankfurrt countered with a staggering 7-0 run as Doornekamp scored back door, Robertson nailed a three pointer and Cobbs buried free throws as Frankfurt led 46-31. Wessels then hit a big three pointer while Doornekamp scored inside as Frankfurt led 50-35. Den Bosch finished off the third quarter with a timely 13-5 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 55-48. North Carolina native Brandyn Curry got Den Bosch flying as he got back to back buckets scoring on hard penetration and then getting a steal and going coast to coast. Curry then showed why he is a floor general setting up Wessels with a no look pass for the easy basket as Den Bosch was coming back trailing 50-41. However with the momentum on the side of the Dutch squad, Cobbs came back and with his typical coolness and nailed a in your face jumper giving Frankfurt the 52-41 advantage. Despite a Jacob Burtschi three pointer Den Bosch finished off the third quarter with key three pointers from Arvin Slagter and Kees Akerboom capitalizing off two consecutive Frankfurt defensive miscues. “We weren´t as focused in the last five minutes and they showed that they are a great team staging a comeback”, stressed Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 37% from the parking lot while the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch were shooting 47% from the field and 30% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 31-15 rebound edge, but 16 turnovers while Den Bosch had 11 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch continued to be on the comeback quest and forced the game into overtime. The Fraport Skyliners got off to a horrible start getting four team fouls in the first 49 seconds and already had five team fouls with two minutes played. Den Bosch fed off the Frankfurt foul turmoil going on a mini 4-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 55-52 as Slagter hit free throws and Aarts connected on a broken ally op play. Frankfurt responded in fine fashion going on a 6-0 run to lead more comfortably 61-52 as Tez made free throws and Cobbs hit free throws and connected on a pull up jumper. However every time when it seemed like Frankfurt might make that long awaited run, it was halted by lightening offense from Den Bosch as Curry nailed a three pointer and Denson hurt Frankfurt once again with the penetration as Frankfurt led 61-57. The game remained dramatic and exciting as both teams fought with intensity and no one could ultimately break way. Voigtmann hit a beautiful baby hook shot, but Curry responded with a huge three pointer to cut the Frankfurt lead to 63-60. After Doornekamp made free throws, it was the rookie c & c show of Curry and Cobbs as they both seemed to want to take command as Curry scored twice inside and Cobbs did once as Frankfurt led 67-66. At the 1.26 mark of the fourth quarter it was three point specialist Slagter that gave Den Bosch their first lead of the game 68-67 with free throws. Cobbs then made free throws, but Denson hit a runner over Doornekamp to give Den Bosch the 70-69 advantage. Voigtman then made one free throw to tie the game at 70-70. After Denson had an air ball Frankfurt had one last possession with 12 seconds, but had three opportunities, but failed to win the game sending it into overtime. “It was fun watching Cobbs and Curry create, lead and battle down the stretch”, stated Jacob Burtschi. “We went to zone after seeing they kept running the same play. We increased our defensive intensity”, stressed Den Bosch guard Chris Denson.

The SPM Shoeters Den Bosch got off to a fast 4-0 run in overtime as Slagter made free throws and Wessels scored inside getting the perfect shovel pass form Curry for the 74-70 lead. This didn´t impress Frankfurt in the least as Super Tez dropped a three pointer and free throw to tie the contest at 74-74. The game continued to remain even as Curry hit a runner over Voigtmann and Cobbs kept his cool and made free throws as the game was deadlocked at 76-76. Then it was Doornekamp who dished out a team high four assists finding Voigtmann for the put back. Wessels then made one free throw while Cobbs hit two as Frankfurt led 80-77 with little time remaining. Curry then stood at the free throw line and had to make one and miss the second, but instead missed both and Den Bosch made a tip out that somehow reached Wessels in the corner and he nailed a hail mary kind of shot that found nothing but net and sent the game into a second overtime at 80-80. The shot in a way was similar to a Justin Cobbs buzzer beater he hit with California(NCAA) over Arizona in the only difference being that the Cobbs one was more graceful. “I didn´t know that the Wessels shot was going in, but I am happy it did. The arena was so loud after that”, added Chris Denson. “I was mad I didn´t make the free throw, but Wessels made a huge shot and I knew it was going in as it reminded me off that crazy shot Fortson made”, added Brandyn Curry. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 29% from outside while Den Bosch was shooting 39% from the field and 29% from outside. Frankfurt had the big 47-30 rebound edge, but 21 turnovers while Den Bosch had 14 turnovers.

The second overtime remained tight, but the Fraport Skyliners took control and except for one lead change were the better team doing the little things better that counted and hitting big shots when it counted and getting the win and clinching a ticket to the Eurochallenge quarterfinal. Sean Armand got Frankfurt on the board first nailing a three pointer for the 83-80 lead. After a Denson free throw, he struck back making a bomb from outside and giving Den Bosch the 84-83 lead. Frankfurt continued to be very aggressive on offense as Armand and Cobbs hit free throws for the 86-84 advantage. Denson then tied the game at 86-86 sinking a pair of free throws. Frankfurt always seemed to have their nose a bit more ahead then Den Bosch taking the 89-86 lead as the Baaken Bears honey stopper Johannes Richter made one free throw and Armand hit a huge off balance shot. Denson kept Den Bosch close with free throws to cut the Frankfurt lead to 89-88, but then it was Jacob Burtschi who was left all alone at the top of the key drowning a three pointer like there was no tomorrow as Frankfurt led 92-88 with under a minute to play which was the first match point. Winston Salem native Reggie Johnson who played at Miami(NCAA) with New York Knicks guard Shane Larkin could only make one free throw. Armand then nailed two free throws to add insurance and ultimately sealing the win as Frankfurt led 94-89 with 10 seconds to play. It was only natural that Kees Akeerboom who came into the game having shot 13/18 from downtown in both Avtodor games to nail a buzzer beater, but Den Bosch had a few more seconds too little as they lost 94-92. “Both teams were tired. We got good looks, but just couldn´t make shots. Denson made good decisions and took shots he would usually make in practice”, added Brandyn Curry. “We came together at the end which was key for the win. We got big offensive rebounds from Voigtmann and Doornekamp and Burtschi hit a big shot. We got stops late and the team came together and all made plays”, stressed Justin Cobbs. “We played hard and were tired, but that is no excuse for the loss. Our switching hurt us at the end. Richter got a big rebound and we had a defensive miscommunication which left Burtschi wide open for the big shot. Frankfurt is really solid and can play with any team in Europe when they are healthy. They will go far in the Eurochallenge”, warned”, added Chris Denson.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Justin Cobbs with 23 points. Aaron Doornekamp scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists. Quantez Robertson added 16 points, six boards and three steals. Johannes Voigtmann added 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Sean Armand contributed 11 points. The SPM Shoeters Den Bosch were led by Chris Denson with 28 points and Brandon Curry added 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Stefan Wessels chipped in with 14 points while Arvin Slagter added 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 38% from the field and 29% from outside while the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch shot 45% from the field and 33% from outside. Frankfurt dominated the rebounding 52-35, but coughed up the ball 21 times while Den Bosch did 15 times.

Brandyn Curry is a 23 year old 187cm point guard from Huntersville, North Carolina that is a rookie and playing his first season in Europe for the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch (Holland-Eredivisie). He played four years at Harvard(NCAA) playing a total of 113 NCAA games and as a senior played 23 games averaging 9.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.8apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 53.6%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 58.5%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Eurochallenge game against the Fraport Skyliners in Den Bosch.

 

 

Hi Brandyn thanks for talking to German Hoops. The past days there has been carnival feeling in certain parts in Germany. Have you been able to see anything or is Den Bosch quiet this weekend?

Den Bosch was anything but quiet this weekend. They have their 4 day carnaval celebration that started Saturday night. Its the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in person. They definitely party hard here.

 

Den Bosch recently suffered a narrow 69-63 loss on Valentines day against Gronningen. You battle against different point guards each week, but what kind of a challenge was it battling against the physical and wide Lance Jeter?

Playing against Lance Jeter was certainly a different but still really tough challenge. Completely opposite of my matchup with Courtney Fortson who is small and super quick, Lance is probably the strongest guard I have gone up against. He is tough to stop in the full court with his strength and is a very good shooter as well.

As a rookie how have you coped with the two game per week schedule of the Dutch league and Eurochallenge play? Especially last week you had a tiring trip to Russia. What will you never forget from that journey?

Well at Harvard we played back-to-back games every week on friday and saturday for conference play so the two games a week is no big deal for me. These past week we had 3 games in 6 days with two of the 3 non game days being 16 hours trips to and from Russia. I will never forget the epic snowball fight we had as a team while walking around in Russia when we first got there. Everyone was in on it including the coaches ha.

The game of basketball can be an annoying game at times. Den Bosch is 1-3 at the moment, but if a few bounces had gone differently could be 4-1. You lost in Frankfurt 75-70 where you were on fire, should of beat Avtodor at home and then lost at Avtodor 89-85. How often have you still had these games on your mind in the past?

Yeah you are right about that and its tough knowing we had those games and kind of beat ourselves which is very frustrating. But at the same time we cant sit here and dwell on the past. We learned from our mistakes and are a better team from those games. We proved that when we play our game we can play with anyone. Now we just have to finish games out.

Was there a loss at Harvard that you could have put in the same category of bitterness as the 108-107 double OT loss against Avtodor? Was the team able to forget this loss or does it still creep into talks with the players?

The only loss worst then the Avtodor game at home was when we lost to Princeton on a game winning shot as time expired. It was so devastating because it was the tiebreaker game where the winner went into the NCAA Tournament. I had just hit the go ahead bucket with 2.9 seconds left on the clock before Douglas Davis hit the game winning jumper. Worst loss of my career. We have come to terms with the loss and don’t really talk about it. We realize we really gave it away but like I said all we can do is learn from it and move on which we have.

This week the Fraport Skyliners meet Den Bosch in Holland as you have a must win and Frankfurt can clinch a spot in the Quarterfinals. How much revenge feeling do you have and can we await a spirited defensive performance by the Dutch team?

Oh yeah you can believe that we will be throwing our all out there on the court this Wednesday against Frankfurt. Its all or nothing and we know how close we were to winning that game at their place. Its going to be a battle

Do you think with your 26 point effort against ratiopharm ulm and 27 points against the Fraport Skyliners that some German BBL teams took notice. Did these good performances add a little more self confidence to your game?

You know I really don’t know if other teams in the German BBL took notice of my performances. Like I said before my goal is to be one of the top guards in Europe so I’m just trying to show I can play with the best of them. All I can do is give my best effort and hopefully people with notice. Those performances definitely give me more confidence. Always good to do well against the best competition.

Since his 1/10 shooting game and seven points in Frankfurt, your teammate Chris Denson has picked up his game again. Will we see a totally different Denson against Frankfurt than what we saw in Frankfurt?

Yeah for sure. He is a top scorer in the league for a reason. That was a rough game for him but Chris is a monster scorer and that kind of game will happen once in a blue moon. Look for him to be back to his normal self this Wednesday.

 

What was your take on the 2015 NBA Allstar weekend? Where will you see a Stephen Curry in 2-3 years in top players in the NBA and is Zack Lavine the real deal?

I didn’t get to watch a lot of it because my girlfriend is here visiting so I was busy showing here around and celebrating her birthday (which is valentines day) but it was entertaining like always. Of course the game was crazy high scoring and the contests were all good. I think Steph has proven he is without a doubt a top player in the NBA and in 2-3 years will be the best point guard in the NBA. I love his game and he continues to get better every year. Definitely a player I am trying to emulate. I´m not completely convinced Zach Lavine is the real deal on the court yet. he is for sure one of the greatest leapers to ever play the game but i´m not sold on him being the next Westbrook like everyone claims he will be

When will we see a yo yo dribble from you? Have you ever tried it and what is your opinion about this new craze in basketball?

Ha probably wont see a yo yo dribble from me this year at all. Got to practice it first so maybe next year! No I’ve never tried it but I think its actually a deadly fake in the right situation. I remember “the professor” using it in AND1 street ball years back but I never thought I would see it used in the NBA. Just shows how players are always looking for new moves to use. One of the reason I love the sport so much

 

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD movie I watched was the Interview. I had heard mixed reviews but I thought it was really funny. I liked it!

 

Thanks Brandyn for the chat.

 

Chris Denson is a 23 year old 188cm guard from Midland, Georgia that is playing his rookie season for the SPM Shoeters Den Bosch (Holland-Eredivisie). H eplayed at Auburn form 2010-2014 playing a total of 100 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 30 games averaging 19.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 46.1%, 3PT: 26.5%, FT: 65.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Eurochallenge game against the Fraport Skyliners in Den Bosch

 

Chris thanks for talking to German Hoops Den Bosch averaged 99 points in the last four Dutch league games before losing 69-63 to Gronningen. Why was the team unable to do more damage on offense?

 

We missed a ton of shots and good looks against our last opponent Gronningen. Not taking anything away from them. But we shot and played horrible the whole game and had more turnovers than assists. It’s hard to beat anyone playing like that. We also had 3 games in 6 days so I think fatigue set in a little bit. We had a couple off days since then to get our legs back under us for our game against Frankfurt.

 

 

What was it like playing against the physical presence of Lance Jeter who scored 18 points? How thrilling is it in general for you to meet new guards each weekend in league play?

 

Lance Jeter is a very good ball player and like you said very physical on defense and offense and I believe he can play anywhere in Europe. I just like the challenge and just love the thrill of battling and going against good guards in our leagues and in the EuroChallenge.

 

 

Basketball can be so annoying. The SPM Shoeters are 1-3 in Eurochallenge play, but easily could be 3-1 had they won the two close games to Avtodor Saratov which they lost by a combined score of five points. How often do these two games creep up in your mind or have you been able to erase it from your memory bank?

 

Those type of losses stay with you for a while especially when you know you had the game won and just handed it to the other team. But it’s the past and definitely have to move forward and put those losses behind us. We know we are 1-3 and let the opportunities past us by. But we still have a chance to go to the next round if we play the point differential. That’s our mindset and thats what we are trying to accomplish.

 

 

 

Especially the 108-107 2OT loss at home to Avtodor was bitter since you led by 10 points with three minutes to play. Do you remember having a loss like that at Auburn?

 

Yes, that Saratov game was one of the craziest sequences of basketball I’ve ever seen in my life. No, I have never experienced a lost like that at Auburn. This was the first time, but it will definitely be our last.

 

 

The SPM Shoeters have a do or die game against the 3-1 Fraport Skyliners who could even loss by four points and win the head to head battle. With what kind of mindset is the team going into the game?

You said exactly what our mindset is….. “Do or Die” We know what we have to do if we are trying to go to the next round. We plan on giving 110% for ALL 40 minutes because we as a whole want this victory so bad against Frankfurt. You won’t see a single person on our team not giving their most effort against the Skyliners.

 

How confident are you that had you shot better than 1/10 in Frankfurt combined with the 27 points of Brandyn Curry that you would have won the game?

I’m pretty confident if I would have chipped in more points we had a chance to win. But with me going for 1 for 10 we were still winning the game in the 4th. Until we made a couple of bonehead plays. But yes I think when me and Brandyn Curry are both clicking and scoring. We are a force to be wreckend with in Europe.

 

In the last two games you were 10/26 against Avtodor Saratov, but I am sure that you still want to shoot better. Having a good game from you will be vital. How confident are you that Frankfurt will see a different Chris Denson this time around?

Yes my last two games haven’t been the best, and I think that is due to me rushing and forcing my shot a little bit instead of letting the game come to me. Every time I take what the defense gives me I have a productive day. But I feel really good about tomorrow’s game and I’m confident that this time things will be different with my performance.

 

Did Kees Akerboom change his diet before the last two games against Avtodor Saratov? He shot an amazing 13/18 from outside. A shame his hot shooting didn´t get rewarded with at least one win. How important a teammate has he been for the team this season?

Haha. No Kees Akerboom didn’t change his eating ways before the game. He’s just in my eyes one of the best shooters that I’ve ever seen. Kees has been vital to our team this year in so many ways. First, being the leader and anchor of this team since his long history here with the team. And especially offensively where he rarely makes mistakes and hits ALL the clutch shots when we need him too. Without Kees we wouldn’t be here.

The Fraport Skyliners will be without German national player Danilo Barthel, but have new player energy spark Jacob Burtschi. What kind of game can we await? Den Bosch needs to win while Frankfurt isn´t under pressure needing to perform. Could this be another low scoring game?

Well I know we don’t want to it be a low scoring game because we want to win by the most points possible. And we are expecting to push the ball on every miss and play at a fast pace every chance we get. We don’t care if they don’t feel pressure about winning this game because we do.

 

 

How did you experience your first carnival season in Den Bosch? Were you forced to get dressed up and did you experience anything crazy in the streets?

Carnival is crazy. Only been out and seen what takes place only for one day though. And no me and the other Americans didn’t dress up but we really didn’t see anything too crazy. Just everyone having a good time and dressed up in funny costumes and cups and trash everywhere. haha. Reminded me of Madi Gras in the states.

 

When will we see a yo yo dribble from you? Have you ever tried it and what is your opinion about this new craze in basketball?

Haha. You might see the yo yo dribble if the opportunity is there. I’ve tried it in practice and for fun but not in a game yet. And I’m not too crazy about it I’ve seen only a couple people actually do it in a game.

 

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 

The Last Movie I watched was “He Got Game”. Best basketball movie ever.

 

Thanks Chris for the chat.